SOS packing home comforts for troops faraway

Published: December 9, 2003 7:00 PM

BYESVILLE Even if you do not have a family member, friend or loved one serving in the military overseas, make it a point to thank them for putting their lives on the line by making a contribution to Support Our Soldiers, a fund set up by Dennis Clark of the Sportsman Haven Gun Club.

At the Byesville Rotary Clubs Tuesday meeting, Clark said he got the idea for setting up the fund while attending a gun club meeting in New Philadelphia, where members were collecting items to send overseas.

We want to send a piece of home to our soldiers, said Clark. We need items not available through military channels . . . such as insect repellent, baby powder, powdered drink mix, hard candy, cans of tuna, ham or soup, foot powder, snack foods, real coffee, reading materials and AT&T WorldCom phone cards. And, we send directly to individuals, not units.

He asked that personal items be travel-size and things such as coffee be in one-pound cans. Smaller is better. Packages are assembled at Clarks office at the Cord Paving Co. on Southgate Parkway. Packages range from 14 to 18 pounds each and are sent through the post office.

So far, weve raised about $3,000, but after purchasing items (even with discounts from area stores) and paying for postage, we are down to about $400. Right now we need cash to pay for shipping . . . the amount of packages we send depends on our cash flow, added Clark.

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For more information or to provide names and addresses of local personnel serving in Iraq, contact Dennis, Linda or Lisa at 432-7918. Make checks payable to: Support Our Soldiers, 6731 Matthew Lane, Cambridge, OH 43725.

In other Rotary business, President Bob Long made several announcements:

Dec. 16 Christmas party at next weeks club meeting. Bring a toy (unwrapped). Remove price tag and anything identifying where the toy was bought.

Dec. 19 Volunteers are needed to help sort and box food items for baskets beginning at 8 a.m. at the Main Avenue United Methodist Church Activity Building. This is generally an all day event.

We need volunteers. Even if you can only help out for an hour or two, said Long. We have 148 families who will be coming in to pick up food baskets.

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Dec. 20 Volunteers are needed from 7 a.m. till noon to help check in families and distribute food baskets at the Activity Building.

Jan. 17 Holiday party for Rotarians, their spouses or their significant others at Jen and Dan Navickys home.

Jan. 24 Spaghetti dinner. Time and location TBA.

Long also stressed the need for more volunteers to ring the bell for The Salvation Army in front of Advantage Bank (former Cambridge Savings) in Byesville.

Greeter next week is Judie Perkowski.

The Byesville Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Family Center in Byesville.